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Tuesday, 26 April 2011

NEWS FROM HOVIS

BRITS DON’T BUY BRITISH, YET!

Research reveals 91% of Brits think it’s important to buy British despite less than one in ten (6%) always going out of their way to do so

The Royal Wedding and the Olympics might be inspiring a wave of national pride but the vast majority of Brits are less patriotic when it comes to their food purchases, according to research released today by Hovis. The study1, involving 2,000 British adults, reveals that nine out of ten people (91%) think it’s important to buy British produce, but only 6% always go out of their way to do so. In fact, many Brits still remain in the dark about the origins of their food with only one in ten (11%) knowing exactly where the food on their table comes from.

British means qualityThe research, commissioned by Hovis to promote the use of 100% British Wheat across its range², also revealed that there is real positivity for buying British produce with 77% of Brits claiming they would be more likely to buy something if they knew it was a British food product, and 28% admitting British produce tastes better than food that’s imported.

Confusion over originAmidst increasing debate over food miles and where our food comes from, 63% of those surveyed stated they genuinely care about their food’s origin. However, knowledge around origin is somewhat confused as although a third of us (33%) associate bread with being British, as little as five per cent of us actually think to buy British bread, with meat tops the list of British-bought produce (41%), followed by less than 20% specifically who look out for British fruit and vegetables.

National DivideLondoners are the least interested in the origin of the food they eat, whilst the Welsh the most patriotic about British-sourced food as almost three quarters (71%) state they genuinely care about origin. Residents in the South East are three times more likely to try and source British food than those in the North East, whilst almost half (47%) of those in the West Midlands always try to source British food.

Age also appears to be a deciding factor as those aged 55 and over are the most conscious about the origin of their food, in contrast to two thirds (67%) of under 18s who admit to never checking food labels.

Supported by TV presenter and farmer Jimmy Doherty, the 100% British Wheat campaign celebrates the hard work and endeavour of British wheat farmers and encourages the nation to ‘Eat British Wheat’, as 90% of the nation lack knowledge of where the wheat in the bread they purchase comes from.

Jimmy said: “It’s great to be part of a campaign that champions British food and most of all supports our farmers. Historically, to get the best quality wheat it needed to be sourced from overseas and that didn’t seem right to Hovis. They have spent six years working with 450 farmers to grow the best quality wheat right here in Britain and now are the only major national bread brand that uses 100% British Wheat across its range². It’s clear that people don’t realise the source of their food, or may even consider for something like bread that it could be made with flour milled from imported wheat. As a farmer myself, I know how important it is to invest in British farming – not only for the British economy but also our fantastic British countryside. It’s clear that consumers want to buy British, and Hovis are giving consumers an everyday easy way to do so.”

To find out more about the Hovis 100% British Wheat campaign, log onto www.facebook.com/hovisbakery-Ends-